Exploring quantum physics plus consciousness, meditation, the afterlife and ancient mystical teachings from the perspective of modern science.

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What is Time?

What is time, and what does it have to do with consciousness? In this episode we’ll take a look at what science says about time and how it relates to things like free will and consciousness. While time itself can’t be fully defined and seems to be either a fundamental property of the universe, or of our minds, there’s a lot of interesting stuff to be said about it. Unproven assumptions about time also crop up in many philosophical thought experiments.

In this episode:

Clarification about physics and consciousness – undefinability of time – entropy, free will and unknowability – entropy as a measure of disorder – Second law of thermodynamics – Evolution and 2nd law fallacy – free will and time – Daniel Dennett’s view of free will – multiple possible versions of the past – entropy and determinism – entropy and randomness – interpretation of quantum mechanics – Werner Heisenberg – the connection between space and time – train simultaneity thought experiment – Michelson-Morley experiment – time dilation – the twin paradox – Minkowski spacetime and determinism – Kant’s view (transcendental aesthetic) – what’s wrong with solipsism – usefulness of Einstein’s approach to time – Schrödinger’s Cat and time – black holes – vagueness of existing ideas on consciousness